The Hands that Move the World

Droaam

“This place has monsters, but it is not monstrous. Do you assume when you see a wolf that it hunts? Perhaps it has already eaten. And in the land we built our Order, it is just so, for even among the great unrest there is much rest to be found. No greater place, then, to build a school of controversies.”
– from the writings of Raveth Funa’Koshe, Grandmaster of the Order of Labyrinths

Rulers: The Daughters of Sora KellPopulation: 2,000,000

At the fringe of civilization, Droaam is a nation of monsters unified by a trio of mysterious rulers. Its government is mostly a feudal system of warlords commanding all sorts of monsters to varying degrees of being humanoid. While not recognized “officially” as a nation by the Treaty of Thronehold, most people, at least those on its borders, recognize that it is.

History

Droaam is the western edge of civilization in Khorvaire. Sometimes called the kingdom of monsters, the nation, such as it is, is populated races typically viewed as savage or monstrous, including orcs, goblins, trolls, ogres, gnolls, and many more. It is a dangerous place where rival warlords compete for power, but under the rule of the enigmatic Daughters of Sora Kell, Droaam has become strong, and is getting ever stronger.

Prior to the Last War, the lands here were owned by Breland, though few humans could claim to have ever set foot on “West Breland” soil. It was known then as a place of monsters, used occasionally as a proving ground for knights and other such individuals wishing to demonstrate their worth. In 987 YK, during the Last War, King Boranel pulled troops down from the Byeshk and Graywall mountains to protect them from sudden attacks by the recently-united warlords, who had just pledged allegiance to the Daughters of Sora Kell. They declared the land to be Droaam, a nation distinct from Breland, although the Treaty of Thronehold did not recognize it as such, instead declaring it to be unclaimed land.

Society & Culture

Droaam is divided into territories ruled by individual warlords loyal to the Daughters of Sora Kell. Other, non-loyal warlords exist, but their numbers are dwindling as more pledge allegiance or are wiped out by those who serve Droaam. This strange feudal system can and often does lead to inter-warlord conflict, but all warlords still owe fealty to the Daughters of Sora Kell, and must pay tribute to them and serve when called upon.

The capital city of Droaam, called the Great Crag, is built into a mountain jutting oddly from the otherwise-flat plains. The city is reputed to be a bizarre place occupied by creatures of all sorts. The Shitorai monastery, one of the monasteries of the Order of Labyrinths, was located in Droaam’s borders as well, hidden in the Byeshk mountains.

Among other things, Droaam is known in “civilized” Khorvaire for its narcotics production, including the notorious hallucinogen-stimulant combination called paljat by the locals, which translates directly from Giant as “mindcotton.”